Contractor Goes To Court, Gets Arrested

Mark Kinsella Charged With Home Improvement Fraud

Mark Kinsella, owner of Professional Tree Service, a North Hills tree removal contractor, was arrested Monday morning when he arrived at court for an unrelated charge of driving with a license under suspension.

Allegheny County sheriff's deputies took Kinsella into custody on a warrant that was issued at the request of Heidelberg police, who allege that Kinsella took advantage of a recently widowed 77-year-old woman.

The woman, Julia Mayer, told Channel 4 Action News that Kinsella repeatedly came to her home and accepted money but did not finish work that was to be performed.

"My yard looked like a bomb hit it. It was completely obliterated," said Mayer.

Mayer said she had recently lost her husband when she hired Kinsella, whom she said didn't show up for days, and when he did, only worked for half a day at a time and asked for more money.

"It's been a traumatic experience, plus a frightening one," she said.

Mayer said she had to pay another contractor $2,100 to clean up the mess.

She said Kinsella "just hit the roof" when he found out she had spoken with police.

The new charges against Kinsella are theft by deception, home improvement fraud and deceptive or fraudulent business practices, according to Chief Deputy Sheriff J.A. Rizzo.

Kinsella was awaiting arraignment at the county jail on Monday afternoon.

Watch The Original Report From June

In June, Channel 4 Action News cameras showed Kinsella in a heated discussion with Maurizio and Laura Signorelli, a Mt. Lebanon couple who said his company did not finish work they were contracted to do.

Then, a Scott Township man showed up, accusing Kinsella of failing to clean up limbs and branches at his house last fall, followed by the Signorellis' neighbor accusing Kinsella of damaging his property when a tree was dropped.

Mt. Lebanon police then came by, but Kinsella insisted it was a civil matter and the work would be taken care of.

At that time, investigative reporter Jim Parsons found Kinsella's company had an F rating with the Better Business Bureau due to 14 complaints, 10 to which the company failed to respond.